8. ‘ “How can you say, ‘We are wise,for we have the law of the Lord,’when actually the lying pen of the scribeshas handled it falsely?
9. The wise will be put to shame;they will be dismayed and trapped.Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,what kind of wisdom do they have?
10. Therefore I will give their wives to other menand their fields to new owners.From the least to the greatest,all are greedy for gain;prophets and priests alike,all practise deceit.
11. They dress the wound of my peopleas though it were not serious.‘Peace, peace,’ they say,when there is no peace.
12. Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?No, they have no shame at all;they do not even know how to blush.So they will fall among the fallen;they will be brought down when they are punished,says the Lord.
13. ‘ “I will take away their harvest,declares the Lord.There will be no grapes on the vine.There will be no figs on the tree,and their leaves will wither.What I have given themwill be taken from them. ” ’
14. Why are we sitting here?Gather together!Let us flee to the fortified citiesand perish there!For the Lord our God has doomed us to perishand given us poisoned water to drink,because we have sinned against him.
15. We hoped for peacebut no good has come,for a time of healingbut there is only terror.
16. The snorting of the enemy’s horsesis heard from Dan;at the neighing of their stallionsthe whole land trembles.They have come to devourthe land and everything in it,the city and all who live there.